Sentakushi
by Aru
Summary: I wrote this for the #fanfic one-hour challenge. If you want me to work on this idea, please tell me.


Sentakushi - Chapter 1  
By Aru Sahni (madlib007@att.net)  
  
"No, Shampoo! I can't stay and have dinner, its Akane's birthday  
today!" Ranma exclaimed.  
"But Airen..."  
"No buts Shampoo. I... have... to... go... now." He replied. *Its  
so hard doing this to Shampoo, but, as Nabiki said, being 18-years-old  
is a big thing for Akane.*  
Having said that, Ranma roof-hopped away from the Nekohanten, not  
noticing the tears forming in the amazon's eyes which definitely weren't  
of reptilian origin. *I know that Ranma has to follow the other  
engagements as much as mine, for the sake of his honor, but just once  
I'd like him to pay some attention to me, I am his fianc... no, wife.*  
Watching from the kitchen, Cologne is saddened to see her great-  
granddaughter so heart-broken, but reminds herself that you can lead a  
wild stallion to water, but you can't make him drink. Sighing to  
herself, she busily swept, making sure the myopic duck was stored in his  
cage.  
---  
Arriving at the Tendo Dojo, his home for two years, Ranma stared at  
the building and recalled memories of the numerous challenges and  
encounters which had occurred inside its walls. Along with this train  
of thought came memories of friendship, hatred, revenge and... love.  
Although people normally took him for a dumb jock, he was surprisingly  
insightful.  
*Love, what a funny emotion! It toppled empires and reduced great men  
to weak sissies. Why is this the only emotion I don't have control of?  
I love Ucchan for the gift of friendship she gave, and can see something  
has a chance to develop. I love Shampoo for her devotion, strength and  
determination. After these two years, she still hasn't relented in  
trying to get me to marry her, and I admire her for that. Her fighting  
skills aren't to be scoffed at either. But, I just don't know how to  
handle her. Damn you, Oyaji, for training me in just martial arts,  
neglecting social skills altogether. Then there's Akane. She is...  
well, she's Akane. That's the only way I can put it...*  
"Ranma! You finally made it, where were you?!" Akane yelled,  
interrupting his chain of thought.  
Deciding to lie, he said, "I was buying your gift, Akane." After two  
years he had learned much in dealing with her.  
"You were?" she asked, looking at him questioningly, "Oh, well never  
mind, c'mon we are about to cut the cake and open the presents." Having  
said that, she ran inside, followed by Ranma.  
---  
"... dear Akane, happy birthday to you!!!" everyone sang.  
"Blow out the candles and make a wish, imoutochan." Kasumi, the ever-  
happy homemaker, said.  
Looking around the table, Akane saw faces. Each face had a story  
behind it. The story was sometimes funny, romantic, or really sad.  
There was Kasumi: She gave up her life for her family. Akane wished  
that one day her sister would be liberated from this prison, and live  
the life which she never got a chance to live.  
There was Nabiki: Like Kasumi, she gave up her life, but, unlike the  
eldest Tendo, she had taken up a new one. This new life, though on the  
outside it seemed better than Kasumi's, was eating away the once-  
cheerful Nabiki, whom everyone admired for her wit AND kindness. Akane  
wished for the conditions to change so the old Nabiki could return.  
There was her father: He used to be a normal father, running the  
dojo, and winning the bread for the family. Now, after his wife's  
death, he was a shell of the man he once was. She wished for him to  
recover and maybe move on, if he felt it was necessary. She liked  
Hinako-sensei.  
There was Genma Saotome: Although he was a skilled martial artist,  
better than her father, she had no respect for him, whatsoever. He  
lied, cheated, and sold his son for his own benefit. She wished that  
she would never have anything to do with him.  
Finally, her eyes alighted upon Ranma. Her feelings suddenly became  
mixed. She cared about the martial artist who constantly rescued her,  
and even killed a god for her. She hated the hentai who strung along  
women, flirting with all of them *except one*... her. She just wished  
that she could solve the problem of their engagement through their  
marriage or refusal to marry; she just wanted closure to this tumultuous  
stage in her life.  
Closing her eyes, she blew every single candle out.  
---  
"Wow, thanks Rei, a new yellow dress!!!" Akane exclaimed, holding  
said dress up to her body.  
"Which present is next?" she said, rummaging through the pile. "Ah...  
this one." She said, pulling out a painstakingly-wrapped present. It  
had little pigs on it, which made her wish that P-chan was with her.  
"Let's see, this one is from Ranma!"  
The entire room fell silent, and everyone edged away from Akane. She  
slowly peeled back the corners of the paper, hope burning in her heart.  
She didn't want the latest clothes or items from him. She wanted a  
sign. A sign to show his feelings for her, be it positive or negative.  
Holding her breath she pulled out "How to Cook Edible Food for Bakas."  
Tears welling in her eyes, and not seeing the good intentions behind to  
gift, she screamed "RANMA NO BAKA!!!" and took off, making a beeline  
towards Ranma.  
*Crap, what did I do to her now? Oh well, what day is it today.  
Yesterday was Sunday, and today is Monday! That means that she'll be  
using the 100-megaton mallet. No-one likes Mondays.*  
Just as he predicted, his skull was struck with a mallet swung with so  
much force that he left the ground, and flew through the ceiling, and  
out into the district of Nerima.  
---  
"Why *sob* must Ai*sob*ren do this to me?" Shampoo cried to herself,  
sitting in an abandoned lot. *I shower him with affection, but he  
always runs to Akane...*  
Her thoughts are interrupted by a red blur slamming into the ground  
before her.  
"R-ranma? Are you okay?"  
"Hai, Shampoo, just a little bruised... and really hurt."  
"What happened at Akane's birthday party?"  
Nervous, at first, Ranma relates his story to Shampoo. At the end,  
she is seeing red *He tried to help her, and she spurned him, that girl  
is such a fool*  
"Why are you here, Shampoo?"  
"Because, Airen, you hurt my feelings," she said, and related her  
story. At the end of it, Ranma is happy. He finally sorted out that  
hard to control feeling called love...  
-------------------  
Sentakushi = choices  
I wrote this for the ffml IRC one-hour challenge. They gave great feedback  
which I will implement if people want me to continue writing. That will include  
a total rewrite of this chapter, so email me if you want to see more.  
  
madlib007@att.net  
http://madlib.go.to  
ICQ: 32393231  
AIM: tmbg007 


End file.
